Once a driver’s license is revoked by the State of Michigan, the driver is required to wait a year before attempting to appear in front of a Secretary of State hearing officer to obtain their license back. If you received three convictions within 10 years, you are required to wait five years before appearing with the Secretary of State. It is extremely rare to obtain a full, unrestricted license the first time around, however, we have been successful in doing so.
The overwhelming majority of individuals who seek a license reinstatement are granted a restricted license and must drive with the restrictions for one full year before being eligible to restore their full driving privileges. If the Secretary of state grants you a restricted license, you must have a breath alcohol ignition interlock device (BAIID) installed in your vehicle and follow and drive under the restrictions (with the BAIID installed as well), for one full year.
Once you have successfully completed the one-year requirement, you are eligible to go in front of the Secretary of State hearing officers to obtain a full license and have the restrictions (including the BAIID) removed. At that second hearing, you are required to present all the documentation that was originally required at your first hearing again. Additionally, you must present the reports from the interlock company to prove that the device was installed for a year and account for any violations on the BAIID report.
What are the requirements for driver's license restoration?
There are a few “musts” for driver’s license restoration in Michigan. First, you must demonstrate complete sobriety for the minimum period of time. Generally speaking, this is 12 months (but it may be 6 months depending on your case). Second, you must provide at least three sobriety reference letters. Third, you must fill out the SOS Request for Hearing form. Fourth, you must complete a Substance Use Evaluation. Fifth and finally, you must complete a 12-panel drug screen. All of these documents must meet the requirements of the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State expects these documents to be pristine and cohesive, telling the same story throughout. Our attorneys are meticulous with document preparation and provide thorough document review to make sure all of your documentation meets the necessary requirements. We have streamlined our processes and procedures to make this large undertaking as easy, efficient, and stress-free for our clients as possible.
Why hire an attorney?
Every day we get a call saying how this process is overwhelming and discouraging to individuals or how they went in front of the hearing officer’s alone and were denied. What we tell them is simple: We are here to help. As stated before, we make this process as easy and stress-free as possible. Our Driver’s license restoration attorneys have handled thousands of cases and they know what to do, how to do it, and the best way to see results. In every item of the above “musts” list there are several steps and criteria that must be met for the Secretary of State to accept the documentation and even allow for a driver’s license restoration hearing to take place. Individuals who are not experienced with legal proceedings or those who hire an attorney who is not experienced with Driver’s License Restoration cases put themselves at risk of a denial. Sometimes, simple mistakes are made that can be fixed with an experienced attorney in the next hearing and sometimes, unfortunately, it can be detrimental to you long term. For example, if your letters in support state that your sobriety date is June 2007, but your substance use evaluation states “Winter 2012”, it will result in a denial. By hiring an experienced driver’s license restoration attorney, these mistakes can be avoided as they will be addressed during the document collection stage of your case and reviewed with the utmost detail by your attorney.
Call our Grand Rapid defense attorneys today or fill out our contact form for a free consultation.